'I hate this job!' GOP strategist latest to warn of impending exodus of House Republicans
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), following the vote on releasing the Epstein files. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
November 24, 2025
The surprise retirement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) could be just the first in a series of explosive exits that could end the Republican House majority.
The firebrand Georgia congresswoman fired off parting shots in her announcement that a senior House Republican told Punchbowl News were widely shared grievances, saying "this entire White House team has treated ALL members like garbage." GOP strategist Dough Heye highlighted on "CNN News Central" what he found so unusual about the dynamic.
"The reality is we could have had this same conversation last week, last year, eight, 10, 12 years ago," Heye said. "What we've seen in Congress over now a generation is it has become a bad workplace. I remember very clearly walking to my car at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2012, as the clock was striking midnight, I was leaving the office and I thought, I hate this job, and what we see is this happens more and more for members of Congress."
"What's unusual about this is it's members who are in the majority, so the ones who are actually charged with doing things, who are committee chairs, subcommittee chairs, it has become, and has been for a long time, a bad workplace," Heye added, "and I wouldn't be surprised to see more resignations or retirement announcements come over the coming weeks or months when members of Congress spend time with their families back home. Obviously, they've done that for several weeks during the shutdown, but Thanksgiving and Christmas, that's when we see those decisions get made."
That senior House Republican slammed the White House for "arrogance," saying President Donald Trump's team "threatened" lawmakers and refused to share credit for any positive gains, and former Biden staffer Meghan Hayes said she understands why others might be looking for the exits.
"They have to decide whether or not they'regoing to bend the knee to Trumpor they're going to do what'sright for their constituents," Hayes said, "and if they don't bend the kneeto Trump, then they get aflacking from the MAGA base.They get harassed online, theyget harassed in their districts,at town halls, and then theyhave a primary challenger thatbecomes extremely dirty andnasty, so I don't blame themfor wanting to retire and nothave to put up with that. Theywant to go there and do work fortheir for their district and fortheir constituents, and they'renot being able to do thatbecause Trump's agenda isn'tworking for them and isn'tworking for their constituents."
"So I understand why Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to leave, aswell," Hayes added. "She can be a thorn in theside of MAGA, a thorn in theside to Republicans, a thorn inthe side to Democrats, and makemore money outside of Congressand probably be more effective."